(^56) Health The Mail on Sunday^ September 1^ •^2019
T
HINK gummy vitamins are just for
kids? According to the latest wellness
trend sweeping the US – and now the
UK – you’d be mistaken. Far from being
glorified sweets, these chewy vitamins
are billed by social media stars – includ-
ing, of course, reality TV queens the Kardashian
sisters – as the secret to free-flowing locks, strong
nails and a flawless complexion.
And the target audience is not older women seeking
an antidote to thinning hair or wrinkles, but sprightly
twentysomethings. Most vitamins are brightly col-
oured and moulded into cutesy emoji-like shapes
such as teddy bears or love hearts. At the heart of the
trend is social-media platform Instagram, where there
are 140,000 pictures of young women posing seduc-
tively with pots of the ‘healthy’ gummy bears and
crediting them for their radiant beauty.
Search for ‘vitamin gummies’ on YouTube and you’ll
see hundreds of ‘before and after’ transformations
of young women modelling their astonishing hair
growth. Some videos have been seen 500,000 times.
The most popular brand, Sugarbearhair, has more
than two million loyal fans on Instagram, including
Kim Kardashian, half-sister Kylie Jenner and model
Emily Ratajkowski. Such is the ‘Kardashian effect’
that Sugarbearhair, which costs £25 for a month’s
supply, took more online orders than any other hair
supplement in 2016. Another product adored by the
bikini-clad stars of Love Island, claims to contain
ingredients ‘clinically proven’ to boost nail, hair and
skin health.
According to one recent poll,
more than a third of women aged
18 to 34 consume a type of these
chews regularly, with the beauty
supplement market worth more
than £3 billion.
Their secret, they claim, lies in a
wealth of vitamins such A, C and
D plus a B vitamin called biotin,
which is known to be essential for
nail, hair and skin quality.
And if some of the transformation
videos are to be believed, they
really do seem to work. But they
are not without controversy.
A 2016 test by independent labo-
ratory Labdoor of Sugarbearhair
products found that the gummies
contain 70 per cent more biotin
than is claimed on the label (8,500
micrograms compared to the stated
5,000). It’s a concern to some scien-
tists given that whopping levels
of the B vitamin have been found
to have harmful effects on the
immune system and make the
results of certain medical tests
inaccurate. Sugarbearhair res-
ponded, saying more than 100 lab
tests have shown the product is
well within US guidelines.
But there’s half a teaspoon of
sugar in every dose, and the annual
cost of taking them is £300. So are
they really worth it?
COMPANIES FUND
THEIR OWN TESTS
ACCORDING to Sugarbearhair’s
website, its combination of ingredi-
ents feed the scalp vital nutrients,
leading to longer and stronger hair.
Starpowa, which claims to offer
results in just 30 days, is a ‘three-
in-one’ product, containing a com-
bination that targets brittle nails,
creased skin and thinning hair.
Both products base their claims
on the amounts of Vitamins A, C, E,
iodine, zinc and B vitamins they
contain. B vitamins are involved in
the creation of hair follicles, zinc
provides structure to skin and nail
cells, and Vitamin A, also called
retinol, is a precursor to sebum – an
oil that keeps the skin and scalp
moist and supple.
Vitamin E boosts the immune
system and iodine is important for
the functioning of the thyroid, the
gland in the neck that regulates the
release of vital hormones. And
Vitamin C is involved in collagen
production, a protein that helps the
skin to remain elastic.
Deficiencies in all these nutrients
are associated with thinning, brittle
hair, nails and, on rare occasions,
rashes on the skin. The star of the
show in many products is the B
vitamin biotin, which is also found
in liver, egg yolks and dairy foods.
We examined five of the most
popular products, and found that
many contain up to 100 times the
recommended daily intake, per
daily dose. Biotin, also known as
Vitamin B7, is essential for con-
verting nutrients from food into
energy for the body’s cells, includ-
ing those in the scalp and nails.
Several studies have found biotin
deficiency to be common in those
with alopecia or chronic hair loss,
as reported in a review published
earlier this year in the journal
Dermatology And Therapy.
Severe deficiencies in all the above
vitamins and minerals can lead to
hair loss, weak nails and greying
or spotty skin, but this is usually
caused by serious malnutrition.
As dietician Frankie Phillips says:
‘It is very easy to get all of these
from foods without even realising
it. Indeed, most people do. For those
who struggle, you can get the same
boost in a cheaper multivitamin.’
Very few Britons are deficient in
any of the above nutrients. Accord-
ing to a 2010 review in the Encyclo-
pedia Of Dietary Supplements,
a severe deficiency in biotin in
individuals eating a normal,
balanced diet has never been
reported. Zinc deficiency is
noted in the Government’s latest
nutritional survey – however, only
in women over the age of 75.
And for those without deficien-
cies, there’s little proof that boost-
ing intake will make any difference
at all. Many studies looking at the
efficacy of beauty supplement
products are conducted on a small
number of participants and are
funded by the manufacturers.
A 2018 report by scientists at
Weill Cornell Medicine in New
York concluded that even for those
By Angela Dowden
registered nutritionist
£20 bottles of
gummy bears to
give you perfect
hair? A cheap
multivitamin
would be just as
good (without
all the sugar)
POPULAR: sugarbearhair’s ‘hair-boosting’ vitamins
STARPOwA h AiR,
Skin, nAiLS
gUMMie S
£19.99 a month
WHAT’S IN THEM?
Sweeteners sorbitol,
maltitol syrup and
isomalt; gelling agent;
flavours and colours;
Vitamins A, B, C, D, E;
iodine, zinc, copper, aloe vera
and MSM. The label doesn’t state
that it includes any biotin.
ANGELA’S VERDICT
Said to contain less than one per
cent sugar, but these ‘natural
sweeteners’ still have a similar
effect on the body as table sugar.
At least the nutrient doses are
modest – just 50 to 100 per cent.
Contains MSM, used traditionally
to combat hair loss, muscle
cramps and stretch marks.
starpowa.com
SUgARBeARhAiR
hAiR vi TAMin S
£24.48 for a month’s supply
WHAT’S IN THEM?
Just under a teaspoon
of sugar, water, gelling
agent and coconut oil.
Added vitamins include
A, C, D, E and biotin, as
well as iodine, zinc and
choline (a substance found
in egg white supposedly
linked to hair growth).
ANGELA’S VERDICT
There’s no clinical evidence that
any of the nutrients promote hair
growth or strength unless you are
deficient. It provides 80 per cent
of your daily immune-boosting
Vitamin A recommendation, but
you could get that from a
portion of cheese. Studies
show excess Vitamin A can
lead to hair loss. Biotin
content at 100 times the
recommended daily
dose could cause rashes,
compromise immune
function and make medical
tests inaccurate, some
studies suggest.
sugarbearhair.com
hAiR, Skin And
nAiLS gUMMie S By
nATURe’ S B OUnTy
£20 a month
WHAT’S IN THEM?
Three different types of
sugar, gelatine, palm oil,
citric acid, flavours and
colours, Vitamins C, E
and B (biotin).
ANGELA’S VERDICT:
With only three nutrients per dose
- including the Vitamin C found
in just a quarter of an orange, and
the amount of Vitamin E that
you’d get in a few almonds – this
is hardly value for money. The
biotin content is 50 times the
daily recommendation and can
SOME PRODUCTS CONTAIN SO MUCH VITAMIN B, VITAL MEDICAL TESTS COULD BE AFFECTED
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